This year’s Singapore Toy, Games & Comic Convention (STGCC) is going big. Initiated and launched in 2008 by local event planners PI Events, a subsidiary of local toy designer and manufacturer Play Imaginative, it has since been acquired by Reed Exhibitions, the world’s leading organiser of trade and consumer events. The event itself will be co-produced by Reed Exhibitions Singapore as well as ReedPOP in the USA — the team behind events including the New York Comic Con, New York Anime Festival, and Star Wars Celebration.
STGCC 2010 will take place from December 10th to 12th at the Suntec Singapore International Convention and Exhibition Centre, and boasts a fresh influx of influential illustrators and artists. Inaugural guests include comic book illustrator Salvador Larroca and Giuseppe Camuncoli, cartoonists Phil Ortiz and Phil Yeh, illustrators Alex Maleev, Esad Ribic, Leinil Yu, Harvey Tolibao, Sonny Liew, and Tan Eng Huat, comic writer Ivan Brandon and apparel, toy, and art designer Simone Legno. Toy collectibles and exclusives from Tokidoki, Devil Robots, Uglydolls, Bearbricks and Blythe among others will be available at the event as well.
Bulgarian born comic book illustrator, Alex Maleev, is best known for his work on Marvel Comics like Daredevil, Spider-Woman, Halo, and Secret Invasion while Leinil Yu, from the Philippines, has worked on famous Marvel titles such as New Avengers, Wolverine and X-Men. They will be thrilling fans with live sketches of their works and speaking to comic aficionados.
Illustrators Salvador Larroca and Giuseppe Camuncoli will doing the same at STGCC. Larroca has worked on many popular characters including Captain America, Iron Man and Fantastic Four in Heroes Return. He has also worked on titles including Uncanny X-Men, Spider-Man and Elektra. Larroca is collaborating with Matt Fraction on The Invincible Iron Man. Camuncoli, also known as Cammo, has worked titles including The Incredible Hulk, Spider-Man’s Tangled Web and X-Infernus among others. Currently, he is now at work on the Marvel hit Dark Wolverine, written by Daniel Way and Marjorie Liu. Larroca comes to STGCC from Spain, and Cammo will be traveling from Italy, both through the assistance of Marvel Comics.
In addition to Larroca and Cammo, cartoonists Phil Ortiz and Phil Yeh will be attending STGCC with the charitable organization Cartoonists Across America & the World.
But our local and regional talent will not be forgotten amidst all the international heroes coming down to STGCC. Over 40 artistic minds from South-East Asia will come together to showcase their creative flair and imaginative artwork. Already familiar names in the comics, animation and graphic design world, they come from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines
to take part in STGCC’s Artist Alley.
Artist Alley is a special segment of the annual STGCC and New York Comic Convention, and reserved exclusively for aspiring artists to showcase their talent and sell their artworks to fans and the public. Many of the artists taking part this year are recognised names, having taken part in regional and international conventions and competitions as well as exhibited their creations overseas.
One such artist with an impressive resume is Sheena Aw, a motion graphic designer and illustrator from Singapore. Sheena has done design work for MTV Asia, Sony International and DC Comics, to name a few. She also won the Silver PROMAX Award in 2005, which honours the best and brightest in on-air promotion, branding and advertising, for her work on MTV Asia.
Emerging artist, Pamela Halomoan a.k.a. Thunderpanda will be flying in from Jakarta, Indonesia to take part in Artist Alley for the first time. She is known for her work in animation, illustration, painting and toy customisation. Also in Singapore for the first time is Studioaiko, an illustration and graphic house based in Bangkok, Thailand. Studioaiko has been creating custom graphics for clients from Thailand, USA, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, Japan and the UK.
In addition to comics and manga artists, fans can also look forward to other energetic art forms such as graffiti art and the rare skill of toy sculpting.
One edgy artist is Mazlan Ahmad a.k.a SKOPE. A reputable pioneer of graffiti art in Singapore, SKOPE participates in international exhibitions and events, and collaborates with renowned artists such as FUTURA 2000 and Sam Flores. He is actively involved in bringing graffiti art to a mainstream audience in Singapore and onto the global graffiti scene.
Fans will also be thrilled to see live toy sculpting at the STGCC 2010. Mufizal Mokhtar, who spent the last four years honing his skill as a toy sculptor will be showcasing this exceptional art form at Artist Alley. He will be showing fans how he works by sculpting live at his booth.
Animax will be the official media broadcast partner of STGCC 2010 and will be promoting and featuring highlights of the event with over 40+ million viewers across Asia. They will present screenings and premieres at the convention as well as the finale of a collaboration with Reed to offer Southeast Asian youths a very unique opportunity to become TV host presenters on the channel. More details on that will be revealed in the coming weeks.
If competitions are your fancy, don’t worry. There are ongoing ones that you can take part in right now. Caught in Action wants to see you posing with your favourite game, toy or comic in a photograph. The key to winning will be a creative pose and a unique background. The 10 most creative and original photos will be selected by Reed Exhibitions to enter the final round, and the 10 finalists’ photos will be featured on the STGCC site for voting by the rest of STGCC fans. 3 lucky voters will also stand a chance to win prizes. For more information on Caught in Action, click here.
The other competition with prizes up for grabs is Cosplay @ STGCC. There are solo and group categories, as well as a brand new one for kids from 5 – 12 years old.
You can choose to participate in more than one of the categories below:
10 Dec 2010: Solo Category
- Grand Prize of S$1000 cash.
- Contestants must be above 12 years old.
- 10 finalists will be selected to perform a 3-minute skit on stage for audience and judge voting on 10 Dec.
11 Dec 2010: Group Category
- Grand Prize of S$1000 cash.
- Min 2 – 5 participants per group.
- Contestants must be above 12 years old.
- 10 finalist groups will be selected to perform a 3-minute skit on stage for audience and judge voting on 11 Dec.
12 Dec 2010: Mini-Me Category
- Grand Prize of S$500 cash.
- For kids from 5 – 12 years old.
- Solo registration only.
- 10 finalists will be selected to perform a 3-minute skit on stage for audience and judge voting on 12 Dec.
For more information on the cosplay competition, click here.
There’s going to be lots more going on the STGCC 2010, so don’t base your attendance on what you’ve just read. With Reed Exhibtions behind it, this year’s show promises to be one to remember.
Info source: STGCC.